“Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” - Jeremiah 1:6
Jeremiah was a young man and it seems he felt boxed in by the the pressures of his society's and cultural expectations for qualification and vocational purpose. It was in his own thoughts and mind that the people around him and the fellow Jewish countrymen would find him lacking. He was too young, lacked in education, failed in pedigree, and generally had no authority for speaking on behalf of God or truth.

It seems like things have not changed much since those days. So often we fall into the patterns of society's expectation of boxed in rules, perimeters, and requirements for the right to be considered qualified to speak or enact visions for change or mission. Success is even margined by the cultural expectations of independence, self sufficiency, and quality being judged through numbers or profit. It seems authority and power always comes back to that which the individual presents over that of others.

These social and cultural expectations scream at us, "You are not good enough!" "You cannot achieve or act because your not gifted enough, educated enough, wealthy enough, old or young enough, in the right titled or position of authority!" "You lack the abilities to succeed!" It is a worldly noise that fills our minds with the distractions of self doubt to the point that we just simply give up. We don't even bother to try, and why should we? The world knows we will fail and we know we will fail.

It was here, in this mind set of self doubt, that God spoke to Jeremiah and like him, unless we are willing to quieten our own self defeat, we will miss hearing and listening to our creators voice and calling.

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” - Jeremiah 1:6-8

Jeremiah would not find his authority in the world's expectations but rather would only find it in his relationship with the Lord. He was not to look to his society's or cultures expectations of character and abilities but rather that of God's character and abilities entering into his life and personhood.

God has placed you and I in a very special community and neighbourhood! When we look at our neighbours we are not under their judgements but rather sent to them by God's presence in our lives to speak with his words, love and act with his understandings, and deliver a Spirit of freedom from the worlds expectations of success, power and authority. We live not within the boxed categories of the worlds view but that of our creators view of abilities, talents, and gifts which with him in our lives is endless!

"Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms," - Jeremiah 1:9-10

My neighbour is from Toronto and is a huge Maple Leaf fan. Try as I might, I can't convince him that the Calgary Flames are a far better team! I must admit, I know I'm dreaming here a bit but, the hope of another 2004 Stanley Cup run just can't leave my heart. Why am I sharing this story?

Despite the political differences my neighbours and I might have, the reality is God has placed all of us over this separation or relational gap. My neighbour and I can cross over the thresholds of our sports, political, ethical, and religious boundaries and embrace a conversation to which God can speak through and to both of us. We don't have to have all things in common to relate as it is God's presence that bridges the words and worlds between us.

"to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Listening to the voice of God in the relationship I have with my neighbours begins to break down the barriers of communal self defeat. No longer are they strangers, they are friends and they impact the person I am today. As we share in life together we begin to find parts of our worlds coming together which shape the meanings to authority that we have and our relationships with God.

It is in these relationships that I can plant seeds of thought through my actions and words which can bring God's presence just a little closer to my neighbours and friends lives, whether they know him or not. In some sense, I see them doing the same with me. Together we are building community which in relationship with God, becomes a building of the Kingdom.